Control circuit responsive to positive or negative transient signal or to power supply voltage decrease to fire scr



0 United States Patent 11113549906 [72] Inventors MelbourneJ-Hellstrom [56] References Cited Severna Park; UNITED STATES PATENTS Mid'aemoppenhe'mer'nammm'm- 3,160,766 12/1964 Reymond 307/255 [211 ll p- 3 19 67 3,317,747 5/1967 Bryant 307/235 ag- 3,405,284 10/1968 Chowdhuri 307/235 wes-finghousmecmcCorporation 3,457,560 7/1969 McKinley 307/235 Pittsburgh, Pa OTHER REFERENCES a corporation of Pennsylvania [54] CONTROL CIRCUIT RESPONSIVE TO POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE TRANSIENT SIGNAL OR TO POWER SUPPLY VOLTAGE DECREASE TO FIRE PUBI AC MOTOR SPEED CONTROL IN HOME AP- PLIANCE BUILDER by MUNGENAST AND DOWLING, dated August [964, pages l3, l4, l5 and 38.

Primary Examiner-Stanley D. Miller, Jr. Attorneys-F. H. Henson, E. P. Klipfel and D. Schron ABSTRACT: A silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) controls the application of power to a load. The SCR is triggered on by means of various input circuits one of which will trigger the SCR upon the application of a positive transient input signal, another one of which will trigger the SCR upon the application of a negative transient input signal, and a third of which will trigger the SCR in response to a decrease in the supply voltage below a predetermined level.

I l p R h 2 15 ,3 a, o -41 2 PAIENTED M522 1970 a: U1 2 ,t

\ In In IM- 4 W WM WITNESSES IINVENTORS W Melbourne J. Hellstrom and Michael H. Oppenheimer ATTORNEY sackcnouun bF T l-lElhlVENTlON The invention generally relates to control circuits, and in particular-to a controlled rectifier. device and associated tiring circuitry.-

" SUMMARY OF THElNVENTlON A control circuit includes a's'erniconductor switch means havingan input terminal and operable'to activate in response to an input firing signal exceeding a predetermined threshold.

A circuit elementis provided for developinga firing signal in. v responsetoan applied signal.

A plurality of independently operable circuits provide respective output signals to the circuit element when respective input signals representing prescribed events, are present;

a arses uascmmo oarnED /twmo The. drawing illustiates, circuit ,;component'form, a preferred embodiment of the present invention. DESCRlPllQhlOF'Il-IB PREFERRED EMBQDIMENT in FIG. there is illustrated a-se'rniconductor switch means-in the form. of SCR 10 includingan inputor control electrode v1.1 to which is applied firing signals for activating the 7 SCR 10. The firing voltage signal which is applied to theinput electrode 11' is developed across a'circuit element in the form of resistor R I p l The anode electrode 13 of the SCR is connectedtoa bias terminal means 15 to which is appliedasource of operating TheSCR l0 isopjerable to'lcontroi load circuit of which" transistor Q, to turn on and provide a'signal to transistor 0 to R, to activate the SCR 10.: It is therefore seen that the input stage 24provides output signals, one at thev collector of 0,. and the other at the collector of 0,, in response to positive going and negative going input signals applied at input terminal 26. The output signals of the input stageare coupled by circuit means including transistors; Q4 and Q; to resistor R for developing an input firing signal for the SCR l0. I

Another condition for the firing of the SCR 10 is if the operating potential'E falls below-a predetermined level and accordingly, a low voltage detection. stage 30 is provided for accomplishing the desired objective. Byway of example, the

low voltage detection circuit30 is seen to include transistors Q,, Q, and Q, with the. base of transistor Q, being connected to the junction of the voltage divider-resistors R4 and R of a biasing means for maintaining transistor 0 in aconducting condition as long as the operating potential is above a predetermined voltage level. Included in series with resistor R load. circuit. 21 is exemplary, Theload circuit 21 includes a load R andan-energystorage device'in the form of capacitor C1,. which in. conjunction with resistor R1 forms a charging -path whereby the capacitor C charges up to-the operating potential E. if the voltage acrossresistor R, is such that the firing threshold of the SCR 10 is exceeded, an extremely low impedance will be presented between the anode and the cathode electrodes 13 and .17 such that thelcapacitor C discharges through'theSCR 10 and through the load R Activation of the SCR 10 will be in resp'onseto a pluralityof predetermined input conditionss'l'wo of the conditions are that the SCR l0 fire in response to a positive going input signal and another condition is that the SCR mine in response to a negative going input signal. In order to satisfy these two condi tions there is provided an input stagef24 having a first section including capacitor .C and NPN transistor 01, and-a second section including capacitor C, and PNP transistor 0 Application of positive going or negative going signals to input terrninal 26 is for example accomplished by means of inputcirdevices-vary with changing temperatures, the diode D, is

is a diode D chosen to have similar temperature dependence as the base emitter diode of transistor Q Resistors R and R, are chosen to have substantially the sametemperature coefficient.

With the operating potential E greater than a prescribed level, transistor 0 is on, a current flow is established through its collector resistor R through the transistor Q; to ground and the potential atthe collector'electrode thereof is insufficient to place the transistor 0, into 'a conducting state of operation. If the supply voltage decreases to a-predetermined leveldetermined by the ratio of resistances R to R the voltage drop across diode D and the emitter-base characteristic of transistor 08, transistor Qs, in response to the decreasing voltage, will come out of a saturated condition and the voltage at its collector will rise to thereby place transistor 0 into a low voltage detection circuit 30't'o the'resistor R to thereby fire the SCR 10. I

Sincesome operating characteristics of semiconductor placed in the circuit to offset the; varying base-emitter voltage changes of transistor 0, in order'that thepr'edetermined voltage level at which the low voltage detcction circuit operates, is maintained substantially at a constant value as temperature changes. i

Diode D isinserted in theemitter circuit of transistort) in order to gain more control in that a higher voltage is necessary to activate the transistor 0-, so that activation does not occur as soon as transistor 0,; comes out of saturation. The threshold is therefore less dependent on the saturation characteristics of Q and this lessens the change with temperature of the supply voltage at which the output is activated.

cuit 27 including switch 28 in conjunction with the operating potential E and resistor R. By way of example, if switch 28 is closed, from its open position, the voltage 'at input terminal 26 rises fromground potential to the operating potential E. The.

resulting positive going pulse iscoupled through capacitor C,

As a'fourth input condition, it is sometimes desirable that the SCR l0'fire after a predetermined time during duration. To [this endthere is 'provided a timer means 35 operable to supply a timing signal to transistor Q, .to maintain it in an oft condition; Such timer means 3.5 may take the form of an electronic, a mechanical, an electromechanical or an electrochemical device. After the said predetermined time durato the'base electrode of transistor 0,16 turn on the transistor 1' Q,. Means. sreprovided for coupling the collector signal of transistor 0', to resistor R,,'which.'means takes the form of a transistor 0; which turns on in response to transistor Q, turn- 1 ing on, thereby providing a surge of current to resistor. R to.

activatethe SCR l0. a

If the switch 28. is initially in a ,closed'position and, is then opened, conditions are such that prior tothe opening, capscition a signal will be provided to the transistor Q, to turn it on such that the circuit means in the form of the direct ohmic connection 32 is a'condu'cting medium for the output signal of firing signal developed across resistor R Although the present invention has been described with a I certain degree of particularity, it should be understood that r the present disclosure has been made by way of example and tor C; has on it very little,charge'since its electrodes are at or near theoperating potential E and after opening, the capacitor C, charges through R to groundJThe resulting negative going signal applied to the base, electrode of transistor Q, causes 75.

that modifications and variationsof the present invention are. made possible in the I claim:

light of ihe aboveteachings.

l.'A control circuit comprising: I i

a. semiconductor switch means including an input terminal and operable to activate in response to an input firing signal exceeding a predetermined threshold;

b. a circuit element for developing a firing signal in response to an applied signal, and being operably connected to said input terminal;

c. an input stage including:

1. a first section for providing a first output signal only in response to a positive going input signal, and including an NPN transistor, and a first capacitor for coupling an input signal to the base electrode of said NPN transistor, and

2. a second section for providing a second output signal only in response to a negative going input signal, and including a PNP transistor, and a second capacitor for coupling an input signal to the base electrode of said PNP transistor, only one of said transistors being conductive upon the application of an input signal,

d. first circuit means for coupling said output signals to said circuit element;

e. bias terminal means for connection to a source of operating potential;

f. a low voltage detection stage connected to said bias terminal means and operable to provide a third output signal when the operating potential falls below a predetermined level; and

g. second circuit means for coupling said third output signal to said circuit element.

2. A control circuit according to claim 1 which includes:

a. an input terminal connected to both the first and second capacitors;

b. an input circuit including:

1. a source of potential,

2. resistance means, and

3. a switch means for opening and closing said input circuit; and

c. said input terminal being connected to said input circuit.

3. A control circuit according to claim 1 wherein:

a. the semiconductor switch means is a controlled rectifier device; and

b. the circuit element is a resistor.

4. A control circuit according to claim 1 wherein:

a. the low voltage detection stage includes:

1. first transistor means,

2. biasing means for maintaining said first transistor means in a conducting condition as long as the operating potential is above a predetermined voltage level,

3. second transistor means responsive to said first transistor means for remaining in a nonconducting condition when said first transistor means is in said conducting condition and for being placed into a conducting condition in response to said first transistor means switching to a nonconducting condition; and

4. means responsive to the condition of said second transistor means for providing the third output signal.

5. A control circuit according to claim 4 wherein: a. the biasing means includes:

1. at least a first resistor connected between the bias terminal means and the input to the first transistor means, and

2. at least a second resistor connected between the input to the first transistor means and a point of reference potential.

6 A control circuit according to claim 5 which additionally includes diode means in series circuit relationship with the second resistor.

includes a timing circuit for applying a fourth output signal to the circuit element after a predetermined time duration. 

